Transfer Talk: Stoke's 2008/9 prospects
By Steve Wilson
Last Updated: 10:24am BST 30/06/2008
Stoke City return to the top division after a 23 year absence as unfashionable as they are unknown to Premier League fans.
Manager Tony Pulis, in his second spell in charge at the club, has turned around an ailing side with basic footballing principles for which he need not, and would not, apologise. A large, physical, direct side, Stoke can play when opportunity allows but know they must fight for the right to do that in the Premier League.
Automatic promotion as runners-up to West Brom in the Championship means they deserve their crack at the big time but no one at the club is under any illusions as to the task at hand.
The club's owner, Peter Coates, who took over from the failed Icelandic consortium that speculated in the club, is not a rich man but a true Stoke fan and willing to make money available where possible.
Manager:
Tony Pulis
Pulis believes that football is a simple game and doesn't like to over complicate matters though his success at turning Stoke around from Championship strugglers to a promotion side commands respect. Animated and passionate on the touchline, look forward to a few fireworks when Stoke come up against similarly vocal and expressive managers. Not afraid to speak his mind his post match interviews should be worth a watch, too.
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Last season:
2rd (Championship) - 79 points
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The pot:
Stoke are a neatly run club with a small stadium by Premier League standards though virtually debt free and ready to spend most of the TV revenue windfall that comes with promotion. Fearful of over reaching in their attempts to guard against relegation it is unlikely Pulis will be armed with much more than £10 million to overhaul a Championship squad for the Premier League.
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What they want / need:
Stoke need improvements all over the pitch though exactly what Pulis has in mind is shrouded in mystery as he has spent the last month drawing up a list of targets to be hunted down between now and the end of August. A decent goal scorer - of the big target man variety - will be required as will some pace across the midfield and an old head to marshall the back line.
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Who their targets are:
Stoke have been making quiet enquires about Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood, who would fit perfectly the Stoke model and bring with him valuable top flight experience. The player has stated he wants to stay and fight for his place at Villa but with first-team time scarce a decent offer may tempt him.
Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi enjoyed success on loan at Stoke last season though an initial £4 million move to make it a permanent arrangement came to nothing.
Anthony Gardner of Tottenham is the top defensive target and would cost just £2 million, Reading's relegation means Stoke could offer Ibrahima Sonko an instant return to the top flight whilst Valenciennes defender Abdeslam Ouaddou is also on Pulis' radar
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Special One:
It wouldn't perhaps set the pulses racing but
Thomas Gravesen, who is free to leave Celtic, would add a steady head in the middle of the pitch for Stoke. His wage demands would be high but no transfer fee would make it a
sound bit of business.
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Expect to see:
Pulis go nose-to-nose with at least one other Premier League manager during a game.
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Don't expect to see:
Stoke anywhere other than in the relegation mire from first game to last.
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1&xml=/sport/2008/06/28/ufnstoke128.xml
Good class lazy journalism I'd say, it's what we maybe look like but it's not what makes us tick or what's going to keep us up. 
